No Cauvery water to TN, says Karnataka

The Karnataka government has said it is not in a position to release Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu as the availability is just enough for the state’s drinking water needs.

Karnataka also reiterated that the proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery was in the interest of both the states and there was “misconception” about it in Tamil Nadu.

It is to be noted that the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a Karnataka government plea seeking review of its September 20, 2016 order asking it to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu till September 27, saying it has become “infructuous” as several subsequent orders were passed.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit rejected the review plea and said that it has passed several orders subsequent to the September 20 direction and, hence the present plea deserves to become “extinct”.

Meawhile on Monday, Karnataka Water Resources Minister M B Patil told reporters in Bengaluru: “There is not enough water. There is water exactly for drinking purposes until June 15…we do not have water for giving it to Tamil Nadu, we have water only for ourselves, that too for drinking purposes.”

He added: “We have have brought it to the notice of the Honourable Supreme Court also. We have told this to the team of officials (from Tamil Nadu) that visited here. At present we cannot give water.”

In a related development, I-T officials raided Akash Lodge in Flower Bazaar on Monday evening to quiz a few relatives of Vijayabaskar who were staying there.